The former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai has revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “changed his mind” on his ministerial nomination, stating that the National Assembly (NASS) didn’t reject him.
Speaking in an interview on Arise TV on Monday, he disclosed that President Tinubu eventually rejected him after pleading with him to suspend his plans.
His words: “After serving for eight years as governor of Kaduna state, I had my plans. The President publicly appealed to me put my plans on hold and through two months of negotiations, we finally agreed that he would nominate me as minister and there were certain conditions I attached to that. I think along the line, either the President changed his mind or something else.
“Please don’t believe the story that the National Assembly rejected me. The National Assembly had nothing to do with this, the President didn’t want me in his cabinet, he changed his mind. Whatever it is, I don’t care and I’ve moved on.”
However, he acknowledged that he has put the nomination saga behind him, noting that he is free to criticise the activities of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) as a member.
He added: “Since I’ve moved on, I’ve not said a word, I’ve not granted an interview, I’ve not commented on the government but it is within my right as a founding member of the All Progressives Congress to ask why the party isn’t functioning.”
